Community Health Workers Grants

The Community Health Workers Grants program is administered by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services as part of the broader Rural Health Transformation Program, a federally funded initiative supported through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The program is designed to strengthen healthcare access and outcomes in rural and semi-rural communities across Wisconsin by investing in workforce development, care coordination, and sustainable healthcare delivery models. This initiative reflects a statewide strategy to address provider shortages, geographic barriers, and disparities in access to care by leveraging community health workers as trusted connectors between healthcare systems and underserved populations. The primary purpose of this funding opportunity is to expand and enhance community health worker programs in rural areas by increasing workforce capacity, improving integration between clinical and community-based services, and building sustainable infrastructure for long-term program viability. The program emphasizes improving health outcomes for low-income and underserved populations, particularly those facing barriers such as transportation limitations, food insecurity, and limited access to healthcare services. Funded programs are expected to demonstrate transformative approaches that go beyond maintaining existing services and instead focus on new or expanded initiatives. Funding supports several core activities, including hiring and supporting community health workers, providing training aligned with national core competency standards, and strengthening organizational capacity. Allowable uses of funds include personnel salaries and fringe benefits, travel expenses, technology and supplies, program evaluation, and infrastructure development such as referral systems and data tracking tools. However, funds may not be used to sustain existing programs without expansion, replace existing funding sources, or cover unallowable costs such as lobbying or pre-award expenses. The program operates on a cost-based reimbursement model, meaning recipients are reimbursed only for actual allowable costs incurred. Eligibility is limited to rural facilities located within Wisconsin counties designated as rural or semi-rural by the 2020 U.S. Census. Eligible applicants include a wide range of organizations such as federally qualified health centers, hospitals, local and tribal health departments, rural health clinics, community-based organizations, and school-based health providers. Applicants must demonstrate capacity to implement and evaluate programs, meet workforce training standards, maintain appropriate supervision ratios, and collaborate effectively with multi-sector partners. They must also provide a sustainability plan outlining how programs will continue beyond the grant period, including potential reimbursement mechanisms such as Medicaid. The application process requires submission through designated online forms, including a recommended letter of intent and a full application. Required components include narrative responses addressing community needs, program design, organizational capacity, and experience, as well as a detailed budget and justification and letters of support from partners. Applications are evaluated using a 100-point scoring rubric that prioritizes program design, community impact, organizational capacity, experience, and budget. Additional weighting is given to programs serving fully rural counties. Key timeline elements include an application release date of June 15, 2026, a recommended letter of intent due July 1, 2026, and a final application deadline of August 7, 2026. Questions regarding the application must also be submitted by July 1, 2026. Award notifications are expected in late August 2026. The performance period spans multiple years, beginning October 1, 2026, and extending through September 30, 2031, with funding decreasing in later years as services transition to reimbursement-based models. Award amounts vary depending on program scope, with typical awards ranging from $400,000 to $600,000 per year for programs hiring new community health workers, and smaller awards ranging from $100,000 to $300,000 for organizations expanding existing services. The program anticipates funding approximately 30 to 50 recipients, with total program funding reaching up to $20 million in the first year and additional funding distributed over a five-year period. This structure supports both immediate workforce expansion and long-term sustainability of community health worker programs across Wisconsin.

Focus on demonstrating new or expanded services rather than maintaining existing programs; clearly define community needs and partnerships; provide a strong sustainability plan and measurable outcomes